Why Most Goals Fail (and the 3 Things You Actually Need Instead)
Most people don’t fail at their goals because they’re lazy or undisciplined.
They fail because one of three essential things is missing — and when even one is off, goal setting becomes frustrating rather than supportive.
In this post, I’m going to walk you through those three things and explain why you need all of them for goal planning to actually work, especially for therapists running a private practice.
I also run a membership called Goal Getters, where therapists learn how to plan realistically and follow through on their goals.
The Problem With How Most People Set Goals
Most people set goals in isolation. If you don’t set your goals anchored to a bigger picture, there’s no overall vision holding them together. Without that anchor, it’s much harder to stay motivated or make consistent progress. You need a WHY?
On top of that, many people plan goals around an ideal week instead of a real one. They don’t look at how much time they actually have, where their energy goes, or what their life truly allows.
Before you add another goal to your list, you need these three pieces working together:
Vision
Time
Effective goal setting
Let’s look at each one.
Vision: The Why Behind Your Goals
You need to know why you're doing this Whatever “this” is!
Why do you want to start or grow a private practice? It's going to be deeper than, oh, I just want to earn some more money. I just want to work for myself.
There's going to be really deep reasons why that is the case.
Is it because you want to be around for your children so you can take them to school and pick them up?
Is it because you want the freedom to be able to travel?
Getting to the root cause of why it is that you want to set this goal in the first place is really going to help you on the days where you do not feel motivated to take action on the goal.
Having a clear vision gives you direction not pressure.
Time: Be Honest About What You Actually Have
The second piece is understanding your time.
This matters for two reasons.
First, you need to know:
Where your time is currently going
When you have the most energy
When you do your best work
Some people are early-morning people. Some need coffee first. Some work best when inspiration strikes. There’s no “right” way, but you do need to know your way.
Second, when you’re setting goals, you need to know how much time you actually have to work on them.
So many people set huge goals without realising they only have 2–3 hours a week to dedicate to them. The goal was never achievable in the first place — and that’s not a personal failure, that’s a planning issue.
And if you plan a goal for a whole year? It’s almost guaranteed to lose momentum.
Life changes. Energy changes. Priorities change.
That’s why I recommend planning in shorter chunks and reviewing regularly. In my membership, we revisit time and goals every quarter. Seasons change, kids are home, energy shifts, and life happens.
Time planning is not a one-and-done thing. It’s a rhythm.
Goal Setting: Plan the How, Not Just the What
The third piece is effective goal setting.
You need to actually plan the goals that you are setting - not just set them.
You don't want to just set a goal of I want three new people in my private practice or I want to get clients in my private practice so that I am full. You need to make them smart.
SMART Goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound
And most importantly, you need to plan the action steps.
What are you actually doing each week to move the goal forward?
If you sit down on a Monday morning with time blocked out but no plan, you’ll probably procrastinate, research endlessly, or scroll the internet instead. Planning ahead removes decision fatigue and makes it easier to follow through.
I always recommend planning at least a month ahead — and ideally working in 6-week chunks — so you can review, adjust, and keep moving without burning out.
SMART Goals
How It All Fits Together
Here’s the simple framework I want you to remember:
Vision gives you direction
Time gives you boundaries
Goals give you clarity
When all three are in place, goal setting stops feeling heavy and starts feeling supportive.
This is the framework we use every quarter inside Goal Getters.
If you’re tired of setting goals and not following through, I’d love to have you there!
